NUMERO UNO – Union City Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack all but endorsed New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie for reelection at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Colin Powell Elementary School on 15th street Thursday morning, telling Union City residents, “make no mistake about it, Chris Christie is numero uno.”

It was all smiles from students, faculty, board of education officials and Union City residents at the grand opening of Colin Powell Elementary School Thursday morning, but no one was wearing a wider smile than the event’s guests of honor – Mayor and State Sen. Brian Stack and New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie.

Stack all but endorsed Christie for reelection in November when he told the audience to “make no bones about it, [Colin Powel Elementary] would not exist without Governor Christie.”

“Back in February I made a comment that Chris Christie was the greatest governor in the history of New Jersey,” he said, “and I took some heat from the press for that. Today my statement is confirmed.”

“Not only is he the greatest governor, but he’s the best I’ve ever worked with, and that’s coming from a Democrat,” Stack finished, to thunderous applause from the audience.

Christie, for his part, focused most of his remarks on the successes of the School Development Agency (SDA) which is tasked with constructing all new school facilities in 31 low-income districts around the state, including Union City.

“The SDA was a mess when I took office,” he said. “There was a lot of money being spent and no schools being built.”

Colin Powell Elementary is the seventh school in the past 10 years to be built on the state’s tab, which has totaled about $280 million.

The governor, a Republican, touched on murmurs about his relationship with Stack, a Democrat, saying that the politics of education cannot be partisan if initiatives are to succeed.

“Freedom and liberty will only continue to exist if we have an educated populace to fight for them,” he said.

He closed his speech by thanking Union City residents for their applause, at the behest of Stack.

“If all I had to do was spend $280 million to get a round of applause like that, that’s the biggest bargain I’ve ever gotten in my life,” Christie said.

Union City Chamber Players to hold Valentine’s Day concert Sunday

The Union City Chamber Players recently announced that their next concert, celebrating the many varieties of love (spiritual, earthly, requited and not), will take place on Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1506 Palisade Ave. in Union City.

French songs of love found and lost by Faure and Massenet follow, along with Richard Strauss's haunting "Stiller Gang" and Rachmaninoff's reverie "In the Silence of the Secret Night."

Wine and cheese will follow the concert. There is a suggested donation of $8 (children free).

V-Day Hudson County to perform ‘The Vagina Monologues’ in February

Union City Commissioner of Public Affairs Lucio Fernandez and the city’s poet laureate, Ben Figueroa, announced a production of The Vagina Monologues, an award-winning play by Eve Ensler, next week. Performances will take place on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m., Sat., Feb. 16 at 7 p.m., and on Sun., Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. at the William V. Musto Cultural Center, 420 15th Street in Union City.

The world-renowned play consists of colorful performances by an all-female cast, with monologues that address women’s issues. The goal of V-Day Hudson County aligns with the goal of the global V-Day campaign: to bring attention to the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery.

“This is one of the most critical movements of all generations; past, present and future,” The Vagina Monologues: Hudson County Director Yenexis Quintana said. “This play creates the opportunity for all to listen to and speak about the stigmas surrounding women, their sexuality and to break out of the silence surrounding rape and abuse. It is a poignant outlet for expression and all emotions surrounding the beauty and strength that is a woman.”

Ticket prices for all performances are $25, or $20 with a student ID. Reserve tickets by contacting Yenexis Quintana at 201-936-3162 or at HCVaginaMono@gmail.com. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the performances.

All proceeds will be donated to Women Rising Inc. of Jersey City and the global V-Day campaign.

World Heritage International seeking host families in North Hudson

World Heritage International, a non-profit organization, is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls from Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, Thailand, China, South Korea, and other countries. Students are already awaiting word on their host families for the 2013-2014 academic school year or semester. Host families provide room, board, and guidance for a teenager living thousands of miles from home. Couples, single parents, and families with or without children are all encouraged to apply.

The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before the school year begins and each student is fully insured, brings his/her own spending money and expects to bear his/her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.

If you are interested in opening your home and sharing your family life with one of the students, call the local area representative Joanna Metelitsa at (212) 696-1976 or 1-(800)-888-9040 (toll free). Please visit the website at www.whhosts.com.